Doctor says murder suspect fit to stand trial; judge still has final say

Published: Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 9:04 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 9:04 p.m.

A Thibodaux man accused of decapitating his son had been telling investigators and doctors he believed the boy was not a real person, but he told one psychologist he was real, according to court testimony.

“Right up to the end, ... the more I cut with a hacksaw, the more I saw it was real. The blood and guts convinced me,” psychologist Glenn Ahava testified Thursday of statements made by Jeremiah Wright, 31.

Not long after making that statement last summer, Wright was declared competent by doctors, released from the mental hospital that had been treating him and sent back to the Lafourche Parish jail.

Ahava was on the stand all day Thursday in the third day of a hearing to convince a judge whether Wright is competent to be tried for the Aug. 14, 2011, first-degree murder of his son, 7-year-old Jori Lirette, who had cerebral palsy.

Ahava testified Thursday that Wright is competent to stand trial, and “if he chose to do so, he would be able to testify.”

Ahava and psychiatrist Mark Wilson were who the state Department of Health and Hospitals assigned to assess Wright's competency. Wilson has not testified, but District Attorney Cam Morvant II has used these two men as foils to some of the defense's doctors during this hearing.

While the defense's witnesses have testified that during the times they examined Wright he was not fit to stand trial, Morvant has pointed out they only examined him over a few interviews. Wilson and Ahava, who declared him fit, have observed him over a period of months.

“Mr. Wright can be quite eloquent, although brief,” Ahava said on the stand. “He has a clear way of speaking — blunt.”

Ahava said he believes Wright would be able to handle cross-examination because when he confronted Wright during interviews, “he handled himself very well.”

The psychologist interviewed him to see if he understands courtroom proceedings and the different pleas he could make. And he asked Wright what would happen if a juror knew him and didn't like him.

“Well, I'm (expletive) out of luck. That's the whole town,” Ahava said was Wright's response.

Nearly all witnesses have debated the question of whether the things Wright has said — such as the ideas that Lirette was fake like a CPR dummy and that Lirette was placed in his house as part of a government experiment — are a genuine reflection of what he's thinking or an attempt to stay in the mental hospital. If he goes to trial, he could be sentenced to death.

While some witnesses have taken the stance that Wright is not feigning mental illness, Ahava said there's a possibility that he is, although he cannot be sure.

Defense lawyers accused Ahava of leaving out results of psychological tests that showed Wright was being genuine. One of his attorneys, Cecilia Bonin, has previously said doctors at the hospital were biased because of Wright's statement to a guard that he was not worried about his charge and was “on Easy Street” because he had good lawyers.

Ahava testified that Wright told a social worker in the hospital that before being jailed, he never heard voices and only said that to collect a Social Security check. While observing Wright interact with others at the hospital, his exchanges “were markedly put together” compared to “when I met with him,” Ahava said.

Based on the number of witnesses who could still potentially testify in the hearing, it could continue into the weekend.

State District Judge John LeBlanc of Thibodaux, who is presiding over the hearing and will ultimately decide if Wright is fit to proceed to trial, doesn't necessarily have to make a decision about Wright's competency the day the hearing ends, First Assistant District Attorney Kristine Russell said.

Staff Writer Katie Urbaszewski can be reached at 448-7617 or katie.urbaszewski@dailycomet.com.

<p>A Thibodaux man accused of decapitating his son had been telling investigators and doctors he believed the boy was not a real person, but he told one psychologist he was real, according to court testimony.</p><p>“Right up to the end, ... the more I cut with a hacksaw, the more I saw it was real. The blood and guts convinced me,” psychologist Glenn Ahava testified Thursday of statements made by Jeremiah Wright, 31.</p><p>Not long after making that statement last summer, Wright was declared competent by doctors, released from the mental hospital that had been treating him and sent back to the Lafourche Parish jail.</p><p>Ahava was on the stand all day Thursday in the third day of a hearing to convince a judge whether Wright is competent to be tried for the Aug. 14, 2011, first-degree murder of his son, 7-year-old Jori Lirette, who had cerebral palsy.</p><p>Ahava testified Thursday that Wright is competent to stand trial, and “if he chose to do so, he would be able to testify.”</p><p>Ahava and psychiatrist Mark Wilson were who the state Department of Health and Hospitals assigned to assess Wright's competency. Wilson has not testified, but District Attorney Cam Morvant II has used these two men as foils to some of the defense's doctors during this hearing. </p><p>While the defense's witnesses have testified that during the times they examined Wright he was not fit to stand trial, Morvant has pointed out they only examined him over a few interviews. Wilson and Ahava, who declared him fit, have observed him over a period of months.</p><p>“Mr. Wright can be quite eloquent, although brief,” Ahava said on the stand. “He has a clear way of speaking — blunt.” </p><p>Ahava said he believes Wright would be able to handle cross-examination because when he confronted Wright during interviews, “he handled himself very well.”</p><p>The psychologist interviewed him to see if he understands courtroom proceedings and the different pleas he could make. And he asked Wright what would happen if a juror knew him and didn't like him.</p><p>“Well, I'm (expletive) out of luck. That's the whole town,” Ahava said was Wright's response.</p><p>Nearly all witnesses have debated the question of whether the things Wright has said — such as the ideas that Lirette was fake like a CPR dummy and that Lirette was placed in his house as part of a government experiment — are a genuine reflection of what he's thinking or an attempt to stay in the mental hospital. If he goes to trial, he could be sentenced to death.</p><p>While some witnesses have taken the stance that Wright is not feigning mental illness, Ahava said there's a possibility that he is, although he cannot be sure.</p><p>Defense lawyers accused Ahava of leaving out results of psychological tests that showed Wright was being genuine. One of his attorneys, Cecilia Bonin, has previously said doctors at the hospital were biased because of Wright's statement to a guard that he was not worried about his charge and was “on Easy Street” because he had good lawyers. </p><p>Ahava testified that Wright told a social worker in the hospital that before being jailed, he never heard voices and only said that to collect a Social Security check. While observing Wright interact with others at the hospital, his exchanges “were markedly put together” compared to “when I met with him,” Ahava said.</p><p>Based on the number of witnesses who could still potentially testify in the hearing, it could continue into the weekend.</p><p>State District Judge John LeBlanc of Thibodaux, who is presiding over the hearing and will ultimately decide if Wright is fit to proceed to trial, doesn't necessarily have to make a decision about Wright's competency the day the hearing ends, First Assistant District Attorney Kristine Russell said.</p><p><i>Staff Writer Katie Urbaszewski can be reached at 448-7617 or katie.urbaszewski@dailycomet.com.</i></p>